As an NYC wedding photographer, I had an opportunity to photograph a different kind of wedding around the city. Although weddings are a global celebration, different cultures and countries around the world have their traditions – many that you may never have heard of! While cutting the cake and throwing the bouquet is a staple in many New York and western weddings, other cultures have extremely different ways to celebrate the big day.
Even something as trivial as choosing between popular trends like a botanical or all-white wedding cake is enough to keep American wedding planners scratching their heads. But things can be really different in other corners of the globe. Keep reading to learn about some unusual wedding rituals and traditions the world over.
Image: Matthew Sowa Photography
Congo: No smiling, please
As weddings are considered a very thoughtful and serious matter in Congo, the couple cannot smile for their wedding day pictures, nor are they allowed to smile before, during or after their wedding ceremony, all the way until the reception. If they do, it indicates that they are not serious about marriage.
China: Bullseye!
In China’s Yugur culture, a soon-to-be husband will shoot his bride with a headless arrow three times, then he will collect the arrows to break them during the wedding ceremony. This is to make sure that they will love each other forever.
Image: Matthew Sowa Photography
Mauritania: Healthy appetites
Girls that are aged between five and fifteen in Mauritania are sent to ‘fat farms’ to add on several pounds. Brides who have stretch marks, stomach rolls, and overlapping thighs are believed to have husbands rich enough to keep them happy.
India: Getting married to a tree
Women born as Mangliks as part of India are supposedly ‘cursed’ and are believed to, therefore, be likely to cause their husband an earlier death. To prevent this from happening, they need to marry a tree, then cut the tree down to break this curse.
Image: Matthew Sowa Photography
The Sikh wedding ceremony
is known as “Anand Karaj” which means ‘Blissful Union”. The Sikh marriage is a very colourful and unique ceremony in which two individuals are joined in a partnership of two equals.
It is not merely a physical and legal contract but a sacrament – a holy union between two souls. The spiritual goal of any Sikh is to merge his or her soul (atma) with God (Parmatma) and in marriage, the couple vow to help each other towards this goal.
The early part of the day is devoted to the religious ceremony which almost always takes place in a Sikh Gurdwara (Sikh temple).
Image: Matthew Sowa Photography
Image: Matthew Sowa Photography
Scotland: Testing the bride
Before the wedding, Scottish brides are taken by surprise by their friends where rubbish like dead fish, spoiled food, and curdled milk is thrown at them. After this, she is tied to a tree and taken for a night of drinking. Why? If she can withstand all this, the belief is that she can withstand anything that she has to deal with in her marriage.
Cuba: The wedding dance
In Cuba, it is traditional that every male guest who dances with the bride needs to pin money on her dress. The aim? To help the happy couple pay for both their wedding and honeymoon!
Image via Unsplash
Germany: Time to smash some plates
Not only do wedding guests bring the couple any type of porcelain (except glass) at German weddings, but they also smash them, believing it’ll ward off any evil spirits. Who cleans up the mess? The happy couple is expected to do this together to learn that married life may not be easy but in working together, they can overcome any difficulty.
Fiji: Whale tooth anyone?
In Fiji, when a prospective husband asks a woman’s father for her hand in marriage, he must first present to her father a whale’s tooth as wedding etiquette. An unique way to propose, to say the least.
Cambodia: The Decision of Marriage
Traditionally, young Cambodian men marry at around the age 20 to 25 while women can get married when they reach the age 17 to 22. Tradition dictates that the parents are the ones to decide or choose the future spouse of their children.Khmer’s wedding ceremony
Hai Goan Gomlom – Cambodian weddings begin with the groom and his family traveling to meet the bride’s family, bearing gifts for dowry. Guests are handed matching gold trays of fruits and gifts as they arrive so they can join in the procession, symbolic of his journey to the bride’s home.
Unique Destination Weddings:
As an New York City Wedding photographer, it was an honor to photograph one of the unforgettable destination’s Khmer’s ceremony that took place in Cambodia in 2011. In addition to that, We had photographed weddings throughout the United States, as well a South Asia (Cambodia, Vietnam) Scotland, Poland, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Antigua, Bermudas, and Mexico.
Most likely your wedding probably may not have any of these wacky traditions. But if you want to make sure you remember the special day forever contact us: Matthew Sowa, New York City (NYC) wedding photographer serving all of New York boroughs– from NYC to Long Island-New York – as well as NJ, CT, PA and worldwide.
